Daily Dose of BS Oct 16 freedom honor flight

I was never in the Military, I do however respect all those who have chosen that path.  Some real important people in my life have gone in the service from my Grandpa Schmidt, to my Dad, to many of my buddies, and more.  We all have special people in our lives who put Country first, many have come back from serving only to not get the thanks that they have deserved, which makes me sad.  If not for the sacrifice of their time and efforts we would not be free as we are today.  The reason I bring this up today rather than on a Veteran’s holiday is that my good friend Lloyd is making the trip tomorrow to Washington DC as a Hero, on board the Freedom Honor Flight.  From the first flight in 2008 FreedomHonorFlight.org has been making this a special day for our Veteran.   To my good friend Lloyd and to the others on the trip, thank you for your service. 

Daily Dose of BS Oct 15 overdose

Why is it news when a celebrity overdoses or is on the verge of death when they brought it on themselves?  There are thousands of cases of regular old people who are struggling with addiction each and every day.  I will bet that you are close with someone who is or is recovering from substance abuse.  When the national media glorifies the fact that this celebrity has gone in to a coma or that celebrity has died I think it takes away from the local problem that we have right here, in our own back yard.  I am sorry that these celebrities have issues, and cannot deal with the celebrity machine that they have built, but it was something that has been done by them, as it is when it happens here with someone you love.  All we can do is reach out and offer a hand, and an ear.  And let them know that there is help.  Let’s stop glorifying drug use and abuse.

Daily Dose of BS Oct 14 phone

I did the software update in my phone sometime in the past two weeks, and my phone has been acting up ever since.  I went in yesterday to ask why my phone was telling me that I had no space left, I don’t have anything on my phone but a few hundred pictures and a handful of songs.  With the update my phone started propagating contact info from all my accounts and it didn’t know when to stop, my contacts ended up eating up over half my phones memory.  I got that fixed.  Ever given much thought to how things change?  Life is what happens in between your planned events.  I got a call from my Dad yesterday afternoon saying I will be there in about 90 minutes we are just outside the Dells.  I had no idea what he was talking about as apparently I wasn’t getting texts because of my phone issue, I am glad that I got to spend some time with my father.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 13 capx

The landscape has changed.  You used to be able to drive about anywhere and see wooden utility poles, now the rural landscape is peppered with monster rusted metal poles holding powerlines high above the terrain.  The CapX power line is done and there is a dedication ceremony today to celebrate the fact that they finished ahead of time.  At a cost of 2.2 billion dollars the cost of these power moving lines will be shared over the 16 states that are receiving service from these lines.  I personally think that they are ugly, and an eye sore.  I do think that it was pretty cool though watching what construction I was able to watch, but that doesn’t change the fact that they look like rusted out dead trees peppered on the roadsides of the Midwest.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 12 dine and dash

Well it took me till 47 years old to dine and dash.  My son and I headed up to the cities over the weekend to hang out with my brothers, and it just happened to be a get together of some of my high school classmates.  My brothers and I headed out to meet up with them to get together to BS about life.  We had a few beers and then left to head back to my brother’s house.  I didn’t think anything of it, till I heard from one of my friends the next day telling me I left without paying.  I honestly thought that my brother was picking up the drinks.  I was wrong.  Needless to say I owe someone 20 bucks because one of my classmates picked up my tab.  My brothers and I also hit up a bar that our Dad and Grandpa’s drank at one time.  Besides forgetting to pay for my beers at the one place it was a pretty awesome weekend.  

Daily Dose of BS money Oct 9

I read sometime in the past week that is costs about 2 cents to make a penny and about a dime to make a nickel.  It got me wondering, are we at a point where we don’t need to make these pieces of money any more, or should we find a better more efficient way of making them?  I for one would bet that if we dropped either or both of these iconic money pieces that prices would go up to the closest dime rather than drop to the closest multiple of ten.  I also thought if the cost is higher than the value isn’t that for the first time use then with each use after we split that cost, and eventually it would be insignificant, right?  I also wonder if the cost of the metal to make the coins is higher than the value of the coin, won’t that cause hording of the money for the value of the metal.  Oh the things I wonder.

Daily Dose of BS texting Oct 8

You know that texting and driving is against the law right?  Daily I look at the people around me the others that are sharing the road with me and my family and friends.  Daily I see distracted drivers plowing through their lives eyes down on a phone or other device while they should be paying attention to the stuff going on around them.  Daily I see a distracted parent texting while in the car with their most precious of cargo in the back seat.  I have even seen senior citizens looking down at a phone while driving.  This is a problem, a serious problem that not only is affecting us, but affecting people all over the country.  The laws have been written to keep people from texting and driving but that hasn’t helped.  The police in La Crosse for 5 days this month will be cracking down on distracted driving including stopping those who are texting and driving.  Remember that whomever you are texting can wait. 

Daily Dose of BS fair? Oct 7

Everybody wants life to be fair, guess what it isn’t, and it never will be.  I think of all the times that things were fair in my life, and really truly they never were.  Someone always has the advantage or the upper hand.  How we deal with that is what makes us who we are.  I recall when I was a kid and my brothers and I would fight over the last piece of anything and mom would always jump in and try to make it fair, offering to cut it up into thirds the “fair” thing to do.  Someone always got the smaller piece or was the last to pick or wasn’t happy for this reason or that reason.  Fast forward to life now, people get opportunities that you never got, how unfair is that?  Guess what life isn’t about being fair it is about making your own opportunities and knowing when to take them.  Quit whining about life and take it. 

Daily Dose of BS breakfast for supper Oct 6

McDonald’s has heard the call and starting today will be offering breakfast all day long.  Breakfast for supper has been a staple around the Schmidt house for many years, who doesn’t like a quick bowl of cereal and toast when there isn’t something else around.  I have made oven bake French toast for dinner and the family loves it when homemade biscuits and gravy is the evening meal.  There is something about having breakfast for supper, it is comfort food at a time when most of us need to be comforted, we are just getting home from a hard day at the office or at school.  McDonalds I’m loving the fact that you are now doing breakfast all day, now you just got to expand the menu to include my favorite McGriddles.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 5 trash

My parents taught me not to litter, to pick up after myself, to leave things in better shape when you are finished using something.  For the most part I believe that I do all of the above.  I really enjoyed Oktoberfest this year, I like that for the most part that people were respectful of others, and of other people’s things, there were a few issues like there always are when your community grows by a hundred thousand for a day, but mostly things were good.  What I don’t get is the litter that is strewn on the parade route and the cyclone of trash that is in the college neighborhoods.  I didn’t venture to deep into college town, but on West Avenue I think that the visitors into our beautiful city forgot to pick up after themselves.  How hard is it to pick up your beer bottle, chip bag, or solo cup when you are finished with it and put it in the trash?  Remember you Mom doesn’t live here, pick up after yourself, in fact even if your Mother did live here, pick up your own stuff.

Daily Dose of BS Oct 2 Oktoberfest

Year two for the shortened Oktoberfest, I said it last year and will say it again.  I liked the fest being whittled down into 4 days of action packed fun instead of dragged out over 9 days.  You know that things need to change or face doom, and this was a step in the right direction.  After living in La Crosse since 1992 I have been around Oktoberfest for 23 years, participating in the Maple Leaf parade and always amazed at the amount of people who come out of the wood work to watch and cheer.  I always wondered though, do people take vacation to go stake their claim of park land or boulevard for a 5 hour parade?  One last thought, no matter how you celebrate Oktoberfest, I hope that great memories are made.  Here is to a safe, fun, trouble free Oktoberfest.  Gemütlichkeit, Ein Prosit and Old McDonald has a farm, ummm I mean EiEiEio…have a great fest.  And join us at the American Legion Post #52 for the slicing of the Golden Brat.  

Daily Dose of BS Oct 1 prices

I love a bargain, really who doesn’t?  Starting today Target is now matching prices of their online rivals, isn’t this something that has always been done?  I guess I always assumed that when you bought something from a national online store that you automatically got the lowest price.  I do know if you have an ad from somewhere and the price is lower that you bring it to the attention of the cashier that they will often discount the item to the lower price, I guess I always assumed that it was available to online shoppers also.  I like that this feature is now available, but it can’t help to make me think, is this a good thing?  Hear me out, will this end well for us consumers, if everyone is matching everyone else’s prices, won’t that just push all retailers to not have sale prices and just use the manufacturers suggested retail price? 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 30 drinking at fest

We are going to be seeing many people drinking to excess this weekend.  It unfortunately is a fact.  I contend that you can go to Oktoberfest and either drink just a couple to be social or not drink at all.  I have been on both ends of the spectrum over living in La Crosse for the past 23 year, I gotta say the years that involved less drinks were just as fun and maybe even more fun than the ones that had overindulged Bob.  I understand that at festivals and especially ones where everyone seems drunker than the next person, you feel the pressure to drink to excess, as I try to show my kids in moderation it is ok, but don’t let it get away from you.  Think before that last drink. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 29 animals

On my way into work this morning a possum ran out in the street and under my car.  I somehow missed it.  I also saw a mouse crossing the road, when I saw the mouse I started laughing and thought to myself why would a mouse cross the road, then immediately thought well to get to the other side.  I was lucky that I didn’t hit either of these animals, I have in the past thought about the point value, you know the old game there’s 10 points, but then kept on driving.  One time a squirrel ran right under my wheels and I felt bad, another time a rabbit did the same thing, suicide by car, not a cool game in the animal kingdom.  I especially hate when the person in front of me gets a skunk.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 28 thanksgiving dinner

I got an email on Friday announcing that the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner was going to be cancelled.  Even though I had only attended that diner once, I had always talked about it and thought it was one of the gems about living in our community.  The reason for the cancellation is because of lack of volunteers to step up and help.  I am hopeful that this gem will return even brighter than before.  I guess that this goes to show that even if something is good and helps the community that the community needs to get behind and share their talents with these events, remember that they don’t run on their own.  If there is an event that you like, this could be the wakeup call for maybe you to step up and help out, I know it was a wakeup for me.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 23 happy birthday song

I always thought it was funny whenever there was a birthday on tv or movie that they never sang the happy birthday song there was always some made up song that went along with that birthday.  Well that may change as the holder of the copy write for that piece of music may only own the copy write for the piano music and not the lyrics.  I don’t know I will kind of miss the different renditions of the song that we have grown accustom to.  Speaking of birthdays, my wife has a big one tomorrow she turns the big 5-0.  Happy birthday Marcia and here is too many more birthday tunes for you. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 22 Christmas in September

I was walking through Shopko last week and they were already pushing Christmas, over the weekend I stopped at Kmart and guess what the same thing.  When is it too early to start pushing Christmas?  Also what do you think the take away for Christmas is these days?  It certainly doesn’t have the same meaning as it did when I was a kid.  Now it seems like the more crap you can get in the hands of the consumer the better.  What about the simple times?  One of my favorite Christmas memories was when my kids were babies and we went to church as a family, had a great meal and good family time.  We did all this with the traditional Christmas décor and of course the classic Christmas carols in the background. Christmas used to be enjoyed in December not pushed down our throats starting in September.  Merry Greedmas, and lets ho ho hope for lots of profits.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 21 Farm and Fleet

Have you driven from La Crosse north to Farm and Fleet?  How did you get there?  The Wisconsin DOT is working off a grant from 2003 to extend the turning lane on to Kinney Coulee Road.  If I were Farm and Fleet I would be mad as hell, I am mad and I am just an occasional consumer.  I am mad that I have to either go up by Woodman’s and turn around or drive onto the interstate and loop back around to head westbound on Highway 16 to turn into the store.  Not cool, not cool at all.  When the DOT comes up with their plans don’t they look at the impact of businesses around?  I also wonder if now that you have to plan for an extra mile to get to Farm and Fleet if they will get an entrance from parking lot over by Target now?  How inconvenient for consumers and employees.  Also how rude for the planners to shut down access to a business. 

Daily Dose of BS Sept 18 Favre

Big year for Brett Favre first his number 4 is going to be retired on Thanksgiving night and was just announced that he is a nominee for the 2016 pro football hall of fame.  It is funny when you bring up Brett Favres name there are some that love and some that hate him.  One of my good friends Tom never liked him even in his hay day.  Another buddy Jim loves him.  Me I thought that Favre rocked the game and was an iron man and was amazing when he was on.  I remember being like lots of other Packer fans and wondered what the heck were they thinking when they choose to start Rogers over Favre, honestly I was quite mad about it.  I guess that goes to show you what I know – not too much apparently.

Daily Dose of BS September 17 racism

According to you do we live in a racist society?  I am not sure that I qualify to answer this question, as I am a middle aged white male.  From what I see I think that we are living in a racist society, I believe that racism has no color boundaries, that there are people in every shade that don’t like or want to talk with another race.  According to Google when you type in define racism the answer you get is “the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.”  After hearing that definition I wonder if people truly are racist or if people are just egotistical and they don’t know about other races or people other than themselves.  

Daily Dose of BS Sept 16 panhandling

Three times this week I ran into panhandlers and it is only Wednesday.  Two over by Walmart on the south side and yesterday while sitting at a light for about 5 minutes out by the Mall.  I want to say get a job.  The effort that is taken standing out there with a sign is more than they would have to do for many jobs.  As I have been getting older I have become more cynical and when I see the sign that says will work for food, or anything will help or down on my luck.  I want to say we all have bad days, how we choose to let those days guide us is up to us.  I have heard from others around town that they have given food and drinks to some of these people and it has been left there on the side of the road.  I also notice that once someone leaves from a particular panhandling place that often that place is left littered with candy bar wrappers and pop cans.   

Daily Dose of BS Sept 15 jerseys

Should major sports allow advertising on jerseys?  The stadiums have almost every inch sponsored, why not use the jersey for advertising, but use it to offset the cost of the tickets.  It is getting to be outrageous for a family to go to a sporting event these days, you need a loan and payoff plan in order to take the whole family to a game, then when you are there don’t forget you gotta eat and drink.  Maybe they should look at sponsoring the jerseys etc.  There are already the Nike swoop on some of the jerseys or the Under Armor x on others, instead of trying to be sly do it like Nascar and have the sponsors all over the jerseys.  Save us fans some money.  

Daily Dose of BS September 10 hs football

By now you have most likely seen the video of the two Texas High School football players who intentionally tackled the referee in last Fridays game.  This was malicious and intentional; I want to know who thought that this was ok?  There was a claim by some of the students that there was some racial slurs said to the two players others are saying it was retaliation against the referee for missed calls, either way it was wrong, and blindsiding this referee is unacceptable.  I think that this incident should be made an example of, so that it doesn’t happen again.  If it was a bad call, you need to live with it because guess what- there are bad calls at each and every game.  Plus you can’t retaliate each and every time that something doesn’t go your way.

Daily Dose of BS Sept 9 fat shamming

Comedian Nichole Arbour stirred the pot last week by introducing a 6 minute video titled “Dear Fat People”.  The video says that obesity is not a disease and that fat shaming is not a thing saying that fat people made that up that it is the race card with no race.  She goes on to say what are you going to do chase me?  Well Nichole, being a fat guy myself I would like to ask this question, who do you think you are making fun of a group of people?  Would you make fun of any other group?  I don’t know who you are but, I would bet that you would most likely be one of the first to stand up for almost any other group, what makes it ok for you to pick on fat people?  You know what if you are happy with who you are, live life and enjoy what you have.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 28 no facebook

Social media and texting have been a big part of my life for the past I would guess 7 years.  I am going to attempt to do something I have never done before, on Monday when my vacation officially starts until Labor Day I am going to attempt to not text or not go on to facebook.  This is going to be tough for me as I have been tied to facebook for work and pleasure for many years, in fact my facebooking and texting have gotten so bad that I will miss parts of life because I am looking at the stupid screen on my phone.  Vacation this time around isn’t anything special just going to be taking a staycation hoping to get a few things done around the house, also plan on carrying on a tradition that my parents started when I was in school, on the first day of school I have always taken the kids out for breakfast, and don’t plan on disrupting that tradition.  I hope I can make it from August 31 – September 7^th without texting and facebooking, any ideas on how to do it?

Daily Dose of BS Aug 27 killing

Work place violence played out yesterday on live tv, kind of hits home to me and my coworkers.  We aren’t on tv but anyone in radio has been on location broadcasting and not really aware of all the surroundings when doing so.  When I heard the audio of the shooting yesterday I got goosebumps then later in the day I saw the tv news coverage unfold, and then seeing the shooters go pro video posted on his social media, this scares me.   What kind of copycat type killing are we going to see now?  What kind of demented, over the top things are we going to see next unfold live right in front of our eyes?   I guess to me hearing and seeing this play out in the same week that we had a murder in La Crosse makes me think that there are people with no regard for life all over the county, and that makes me sad.  Life is a gift we need to live it. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 26 preseason football

Do we really need preseason games in the NFL?  With Jordy Nelson out for the year, I scratch my head and wonder in disbelief and wonder what the reason behind having meaningless games in August.  The NFL expects their players to give it their all for the 16 regular season games, then up to 3 more for a couple of teams leading to the Championship game, the one you cannot say without getting in trouble from the NFL.  Now there are 4 preseason games added to that giving up to 23 weeks’ worth of hurt that could be thrust upon these players.  Most of the time the preseason games are a couple plays with the players that everyone wants to see and then 3 plus quarters of the second and third string players that won’t be around for the whole season.  I guess I look it as have maybe one or two preseason games, then let’s get on with the games that matter. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 25 stocks

I am not a financial planner nor do I play one on the radio, however my dad is one and I have many friends who are.  On Monday the market opened then immediately lost over a thousand points.  What does this mean to the typical person?  Well in my understanding is that if you were to sell your shares of stock when your shares were down, then you lose some money, however if you were to buy stocks when the market was down, it would be like buying those stocks on sale.  When the market has big swings you don’t really lose money or make money unless you decide to make a sale on that day at that time.  My dad once explained it to me if you buy a stock for 100 dollars and you lose 50% you are down to 50 bucks but if you gain 50% you are only at 75 dollars.  I guess the way I look at it for me, is that I don’t need my stocks today, so I am going to just let the shares ride, so no loss, except for on paper.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 24 community

On Friday we had our first murder in La Crosse in almost 2 years.  With all the crazy stuff going on nationally all the anti-cop rhetoric and the whole you shouldn’t talk to the police sentiment that is being preached to youngsters.  There is a fear that is setting in, a kind of challenging fear, one that is almost a fight or flight mentality.  I have heard some say that we as a community are close to a breaking point, some say that the police have no idea what they are doing and others like myself that applaud the local police department for what they are doing.  I had the chance over the weekend to talk to a few people who live in the neighborhood where the shootings have taken place, in fact one of the women I spoke with owned a home right next to the apartment where Randall was finally captured.  And she said her neighborhood has been slipping into the toilet for years.  Are you ready to fight for our community or roll over and play possum?  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 20 weather

I am guessing that you have heard the old saying wait 15 minutes and the weather will change, right?  I saw a report the other day that said that this year we should expect a snowy winter.  Big woo we live in Wisconsin and that what winter is around here.  Funny thing about the weather we all complain about it but there is nothing we can do about it.  My buddy Bill Graul has said many times that with the forecast we always hear what we want for example if the weather guy says we could see a trace to an inch or rain we edit the forecast to benefit our day if you really wanted to go and do something outside and you needed to sell it to someone you would say there is only a trace chance of rain however if you didn’t want to do the outdoor activity you would say that we are getting an inch of rain I heard the weather person say so.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 19 waste

About every eight days I have the same problem the bar of soap is too small to use, I have tried morphing the smaller sliver of soap into the bigger new bar of Irish Spring and you end up with a lump on one side of the soap.  What are we supposed to do with those little slivers of perfectly good soap?  Think about the wastes that go on in the bathroom alone.  Let’s say you’re on the thorn you look at the paper and damn there are about 3 squares left for you to finish your job, three squares are not going to make a dent.  What do you do with those 3 extra squares?  I don’t know, I leave them for the next guy, not really, but sometimes I do.  Think of tooth paste, if you squeeze from the middle you miss lots at bottom and sides,  I squeeze from the bottom then about half way done I start the roll of the tube, then try to get the last drop out, but there is still the bit at the top that you can't get.  Which leaves me with the deodorant pack, if you make it down toward the end of the deodorant you will either break the piece off at the bottom or you will hit the sides of the container with your armpit.  Bathrooms truly are a place full of waste.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 17 shooting

I moved to the 900 block of 5th ave 23 years ago when I first moved into LaCrosse, it wasn’t the nicest neighborhoods, but it was home for a couple years. I never felt unsafe, I never had anything stolen or in the case of this past weekend, I never got shot at nor did my house ever get shot at. What is our city becoming? Our family had discussion at dinner last night about the multiple shootings in the city over the weekend, and my youngest asked if there were shootings everyday like we had in bigger cities like Chicago? I told him unfortunately yes there are shootings in big cities all the time, in which he responded why. That is a dang good question, why? I read a blog yesterday that said if we rode our bikes more and had more green space that this wouldn’t happen. I hope for humanities sake that they were only kidding.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 14 wi dot

Houses didn’t used to have flair and inviting look that they have now, when you go to build a house now or go to remodel an older home you want your home to have a certain look, you want it to be individual and to have the style that the homeowner likes, right?  Sometimes the general contractor makes the look of the home the way they want it, and not taking in the account of the people that are going to be living there.  I kind of feel that is how an entrance to a city should be also, don’t you?  The city of LaCrosse is facing this same type of thing with the exit 3 work that will be going on over the next several years.  The Mayor wanted the city council to reject the Wisconsin DOT plan for rebuild, the city council doesn’t want to spend the money to even have it looked at.  Where were these folks when the plans were being drawn up?  Didn’t they attend the meetings to give their ideas for the planning?  Do you think the city should pony up the cash to make the changes to the exit?

Daily Dose of BS Aug 13 bathroom spray

I am not and have never been a fan of the spray.  I am talking about the masking scent that lots of people spray in the bathroom after destroying a toilet.  Almost every place that has a can sitting there has someone who likes to press the button, and pressing the button is fine for a moment, the goal of having the cover up there is not to see how much of the can you can empty into a little room.  I am not sure why I don’t care for the stuff.  I just know that it doesn’t make the room smell like flowers.  I also don’t care for the natural smell either, but that is what the fan is for.  Speaking of bathrooms, I think that the public restrooms are learning after many use the paper towel to open that door, putting the garbage can by the door- that is a brilliant move.  You know what would be even smarter don’t you, have the doors push out. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 12 forgotten kids

I saw a campaign on facebook to leave your phone in the backseat when your baby is in the car, not so you don’t text and drive but so you don’t forget your baby in the car.  Huh?  Did I read that right, unfortunately I did read that right.  How in the hell can you leave your baby in the car?  I just don’t get it.  When I was a kid we stopped to have dinner at a McDonalds and my brother wouldn’t get into the car, after my parents pleaded with him to hop in, he didn’t so my dad drove around the block and came back to pick him up.  Now days you would probably go to jail for that stunt, which brings me to the family from France who drove 90 miles before realizing that they left their 3 year old daughter at a rest area.  As a dad myself, don’t you check the car seats or look in the mirrors at your kids while you are driving?  This phenomenon of parents forgetting their kids happens so often it has a name it’s called Forgotten Baby Syndrome.  Here’s some advice, look before you get out of your car, and look before you take off.

Daily Dose of BS Aug 11 neighbors

They say that 12 % of people hate their neighbors.  How are yours?  At one time I was living in the neighborhood that I had always dreamed of, great neighbors who care about their lawns, we took care of the elderly that lived close by helping with window washing and lawn mowing.  I still know most of my neighbors but not all, at one time I knew every single family that lived on my side of the block and about half of those across the street.  With our society as it is with it being so fluid, people have moved in and out of the neighborhood, and I don’t know if I just got lazy and content with my space, but the friendships that I once had with lots of neighbors has whittled down to the few of the neighbors who I’ve become good friends with.  Do you reach out to know your neighbors, or not?  

Daily Dose of BS toys

Remember growing up and the boys got GI Joes and the girls got Barbie’s?  I never had sisters so we never had the traditional girl’s toys at our house.  The toys at the Schmidt house were always gender specific towards boys, my brothers and I used to play also with Legos, and cars and trucks.  Target is now going to be removing the boy and girl label from most of their children’s department toys, after complaints from some shoppers.  For quite a while retailers have been moving away from boy and girl type of label on toys, and quite honestly having 3 boys and a girl at my house, while my kids were growing up, I often wondered why some of the things were labeled with either sex.  I thought the more creative items were always labeled with the girl label and more the cars and trucks with the boy label.  My kids played with both until they got to the age where they started to notice that this is a girl toy or a boy toy.  I get it with some of the toys, but really.  Who cares, as long as a toy or activity can help with the developmental growth of a child, let them play. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 7 staycation

Often times our own backyards are overlooked.  I am talking about taking a vacationing at home or a staycation.  My buddy Smiley from Nebraska and his family are coming to La Crosse for a visit, and I want to show them the best of our area.  They have been here a handful of times over the past 23 years, and we have done the bluff, gone on the river, walked the marsh and had ice cream at a couple places, hit the bars downtown the places that we think of first.  If you were showing off our city where would you take your guests?  I am proud of where we live and don’t want to miss out on that overlooked gem of Western Wisconsin.  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 6 forgetful

My memory is not what it used to be.  I forget the most basic of things, for example this morning I was trying to remember to bring a um…thing this morning.  I got about to work and I swore to myself for forgetting my um thing.  My dad tells a joke where one of his clients stopped halfway on the staircase and called out to his wife, honey, um do you remember if I was heading up or down.  That makes you smirk because we have all felt like that at times, forgetting the most basic things.  How often have you set your keys down and forgot where they were, or didn’t grab your phone or watch as you headed out the door?  What about your car in a parking lot.  We have all forgotten things, but as I am getting older it seems to me that those forgetful moments are coming more often.  You?  

Daily Dose of BS Aug 5 to many

Is it to early to care?  I am thinking about the 23 declared candidates for President.  There are 18 on the Republican side and 5 on the Democratic side.  Are we focusing too early on who these people are?   I find it weird that FOX picked the top 10 republicans for debate, while the other 8 have a different slot to fill.  I wonder if the earlier slot for these candidates is because of the equal time rule.  I do know that the primary is an important vote as you get to help to whittle down the amount of candidates from 23 to two.  Even though I think it is way too early to even be thinking of this stuff, we do need to pay attention and be informed on what policies are important to us. 

Daily Dose of BS Aug 3 facts

I find this odd more than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.  I found that stat over the weekend, then I started to do the math in my head, ok most under let’s say 3 have never made or received a phone call, then what?  I like these kind of stats if they can be backed up.  The internet spews out lots of useless knowledge and lots of people who think that they are experts, heck anyone can write a book and claim expert status.  What are some of the weird facts that you have found that you know to be true?  I know that A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2 by 3-1/2, and that each king in a deck of cards represents a king from history.  What strange facts do you know?

Daily Dose of BS July 31 hunting

Every once in a while we get reminded that there are hunters that sometimes aren’t ethical, this past week for example, we heard of the dentist from Minnesota that went safari hunting and took out a giant cat.  There are people who hunt out of necessity, there are people who hunt for the camaraderie, there are some who go for the history and family time, and there are people who hunt for the trophy.  I guess I don’t get the trophy hunter.  If you are only going for the trophy or the kill aren’t you kind of defeating the purpose?  I admit I have gone on a few charter fishing trips and have enjoyed my catch, I have had friends who have gone on guided hunts and they too have enjoyed the bounty from the hunt, but to hunt just for the pelt or the trophy, I guess that I don’t get that, am I missing something?  

Daily Dose of BS July 30 brady

Does someone innocent bust up their cell phone and wreck their sim card?  Nope, no way, not at all.  I think that the NFL should take away the Super Bowl from the Patriots for lying, and cheating.   If Tom Brady wasn’t guilty why would he bust up his phone?  I think that the NFL and all sports leagues should put their foot down and make examples out of players who cheat.  Not only did he cheat, but he changed the course of NFL history.   I don’t think that a 4 game suspension is enough.  

Daily Dose of BS July 29 dads

I was lucky over the weekend to spend some quality time with my Dad.   Dad and I have not always seen eye to eye, in fact we differ on many things still.  However, I wouldn’t trade our relationship for anything.  I now know why I like to talk and tell stories; he is a story teller and doesn’t like a quiet car ride.  I think it is funny when he says something now I can either beat him to the punch or question why he does something a certain way since when I was a kid it was this way and only this way.  I guess it shows that I have always been a listener.  With Dads comes advice, and lessons, what was the one lesson that resonates when you think of your parents?  For me a couple stand out like always be thinking a few steps out, and always pay off your credit card.  

Daily Dose of BS July 24 another shooting

Another movie theater shooting last night, a month ago a church shooting, and for what reason?  I wonder what the reason this time will be?  It seems like every time there is a tragedy that we feel like we need to blame someone other than the person or persons involved?  If you get caught speeding is it the fault of the designer of the road because if they hadn’t built the road to handle the speed, or the maker of the radar device that clocked you at that speed, or better yet the police officer that was doing their job?  No it is the fault of the person doing the crime.  We need to stop making excuses and trying to find someone other than the shooters to blame and we need to figure out the reasons that they made these horrible choices.  

Daily Dose of BS July 23 people

There are lots of people that work, they work hard for their money.  Lots of us go to work each and every day, fighting for the chance to survive.  We choose to live within our means, don’t overspend, we try to get a handle on the money we have coming in, so we know what we can spend.  I get that we sometimes need a hand up or a hand out.  There are government agencies and private funded agencies that will help you out.  Yesterday two different people stopped me to say that they have been noticing more and more people with a sign saying that they are down on their luck and would like to work for food, or can you help me because I’ve lost everything.  I just wonder why these people who don’t have any problem sitting by the side of the road holding a sign, couldn’t get a job doing something.  I mean if I were in that situation, I would, I believe take anything and work my ass off to try to achieve success, wouldn’t you?  

Daily Dose of BS July 22 dt

Am I the only one that thinks that Donald Trump is making a mockery out of the mockery that politics has become?  His throwing people under the bus from saying that John McCain isn’t a hero, to his disparaging words about Mexicans, and all the other bang on the drum yell at the top of his lungs antics to get his point across.  I don’t like the fact the he says let’s make America great again.  I think we are great and have always been great, sure there are politicians I don’t like and don’t agree with but guess what a few politicians don’t make or break a country.  There are people that don’t like you, does that make you a bad person or make your family bad or where you work bad?  No.  I for one wish that the media wouldn’t even talk about Trump, but since he is making the biggest waves right now he is the story of the day, put the gloves back on Donald and fight fair.  Also I still believe that America is great, and will continue to be so no matter who wins the election in 2016. 

Daily Dose of BS July 21 front seat

It is a rite of passage for a child to call shotgun on a car ride with mom or dad.  My kids always did, and still do to this day, sitting in the back seat sucks.  In Massachusetts they are talking about making it illegal for kids under the age of 13 to ride in the front seat, under fear of a 25 dollar fine for violating the law.  So if you have a pick up and no extended cab are us supposed to put the kids in the back of the truck?  If so that could be cool.  Data show that back seat riding is 40% safer than the front seat for children under 13.  You know what is 100% safer right?  Every kids should be staying home, never going outside, living in a bubble, never watching tv.  Come on, let the kids live a little and share the front seat with their moms and dads every once in a while.  

Daily Dose of BS July 20 what would you do

There is a college professor at the University of Maryland that posed this question on a test.  “Here you have the opportunity to earn some extra credit on your final paper grade.  Select whether you want 2 points or 6 points added onto your final paper grade.  But there is a small catch: if more than 10% of the class selects 6 points, then no one gets any points.  Your responses will be anonymous to the rest of the class, only I will see the responses. “  How would you  answer that question, and why?  I find that what we do when no one is watching is who we really are as people.  Sure anyone can do or say the right thing when there is an audience, but when you are doing something without the watchful, eye, how do you respond?  I also find when you don’t think people are watching, they are.  

Daily Dose of BS July 17 roundabouts

Remember the game Frogger?  I used to love playing that game trying to get the frog across the street, and over the logs on the river, we are going to be able to play the game of Frogger for real on Cass Street.  How so you ask?  Well, the city and the state will spend close to a million dollars to acquire land, and then build a roundabout connecting the offset 7^th street and Cass Street, causing a cluster for drivers and pedestrians alike.  I get anxious when I approach them, what if I do it wrong, what to do I got off too early and ended up having to go out my way, how do I get back on track?  Personally not a fan of the roundabout, and am not looking forward to the roundabout on Cass Street, are you?  Maybe we could kill two birds with one stone and put a parklet in the middle of the roundabout.